Cyntoia Brown-Long Discusses Life After Being Granted Clemency, Her New Book
Monday on “Closer Look,” Cyntoia Brown-Long joined host Rose Scott in the studio to share her story and discuss her new book “Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System.”
Grace Walker / WABE
Cyntoia Brown was sentenced to life in prison at 16 years old for the murder of 43-year-old Johnny Allen. Brown said she was a sex-trafficking victim and shot Allen in self-defense.
Fifteen years into her sentence, she was granted clemency.
Now named Cyntoia Brown-Long, she’s sharing her story in a new book called “Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System.” Brown-Long joined “Closer Look” in studio Monday for a conversation with host Rose Scott.
On what redemption looks like to her: “The work definitely continues. I said last night that I won’t feel that I really have my freedom until I know that other people are afforded that same opportunity to be free.”
On responding to critics: “I think it’s very important to understand that I was not exonerated. … The governor didn’t just wipe away everything. I’m still convicted. I simply served my sentence. So, the amount of time that I’ve served is the same amount of time that someone who was convicted of second-degree murder would receive. … And, I think that we really need to look at the amount of time that we give people for these offenses because 51 years is just ludicrous for anyone to serve.”
On her future: “I just take it one day at a time. You know, every day I just wake up and I ask God to guide me. I ask him what he wants me to do for today. So, right now it’s doing what I’m doing now. It’s putting the book out. And just doing whatever he leads me to do.”
“Closer Look” is produced by Candace Wheeler and Grace Walker. Joy Barge is a contributing producer.
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